J-Term is...

 

Play this while you're reading my blog...please?????

Chubby Bunny!...Hehe

J-Term is an interesting time in the life of college students. It is kind of slow moving, but it's a lot of fun. We've done a number of things: sledding, IHOP, shady ice skating, quick picks, flatress, chubby bunny, school, new life goals, group projects, almost running into the bell tower (it was literally right in front of my face...oh boy), God doing some amazing things in my life, investing in each other's lives, having cereal to eat at every meal (although...I do eat other foods with it), chapel, Harry Potter games (my team, Slytherin, won...yes!), and many other things. There's really no reason to go into detail when pictures can explain it all...

My roomie's first sledding experience...EVER!

What can I say?...I didn't want to fall over! :)

We LOVE group projects!...Seriously...

Don't ask...flatress is what flatress is...

Jacers, Jacer Pace, and Jacer Cakes

Actually...her real name is Jace, but I like to call her Jacers, Jacer Pace, or Jacer Cakes. I really enjoy her company. She just kind of lights up the room when she walks into one. She knows how to put a smile on my face without even really trying. Her hugs are some of the best. She knows how to make me laugh. She understands my sense of humor, which is a relief. She is beautiful, and I love her to the moon and back a million and six times over. I miss her every night I go to bed, even though she only lives down the hallway. She strives to be more like Jesus, and it shows in her words and actions. She’s smart, but she never thinks she knows it all; she’s always willing to know more. If ever could name a rubber duck (I love rubber ducks; so, it’s a compliment) after a friend...she would be the one because she can rock the yellow, and her personality just fits ever so perfectly. 

Jacers, I love you so much, and I now can’t imagine you not in my life. You make me really happy, which is why you are part of my photo background on my cellphone. You really do light up my life, and you warm my heart like hot cocoa on a blustery day (Winnie the Pooh reference...just in case you didn’t know) with the leaves spinning softly in the air...whoosh...! :) There are no words to describe Your love for your friends, family, and most importantly, our Father, Jesus Cristo. I can’t wait to see where are friendship takes us over the next three and a half years together. You are truly one of the best huggers around, Jacer Pace! I love you so much, and you are such a blessing my life!

Love, Morgan

Silent Night, Christmas Morning, and Pick-a-Date #2

SILENT NIGHT

I know that this is kind of late (okay...that's the understatement of the century but who cares really), but this blog post is about some of the last events of my first semester at Taylor University. The first is Silent Night, which is a basketball game in which everyone comes in their pajamas (or something as equally awesome). The Taylor fans are COMPLETELY quiet until our men's basketball team scores their 10th point. Let's just say that we CREAMED the other team. This is the link to see what silent night is REALLY like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csjydRx750k.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

This is an Olson tradition, and I really enjoyed it. I didn't like getting up early (only like 7:30 AM), but it was a lot of fun. Basically, we got up, stayed in our pj's, and opened up our gifs, which were a third east olson sweatshirts (my wing). So, if you ever see me in my 3EO sweatshirt, it's just me showing how much I really love my wing. We ate tasty cinnamon rolls, and we basically just chilled out and spent time with each other.

PICK-A-DATE #2

I went on this "date" with my friend, Gordon Helmke, and let's just say that Gordon is a character. He is one in a million, but he's a great friend. We wore ugly Christmas sweaters, ate dinner, then went to Wal-Mart to buy Christmas presents for a needy child. It was a lot of fun, and let's just say that Gordon is NOT a decisive shopper. So, basically, we just walked back and forth until we found the PERFECT presents. We came back to campus, wrapped the presents, ate cookies, and just chilled out with the people around us.

I REALLY loved my first semester on campus, and I feel more than incredibly blessed. Is that really possible?! I think so...

Taylor Potts

Here's the thing about Taylor Potts...SHE'S INSANELY AWESOME! She is my partner in crime, and she is the person who so very easily gets me through my days in classes.

Let me let you all in on a little secret:

1) Taylor and I have ALL of the same classes together (although I have two extra classes she's not taking)!
2) We had our education lab together, and she was my backup driver.
3) We were in the same O-Group, which is orientation group at the beginning of the year.
4) Her first name is Taylor, and my middle name is Taylor.
5) We both are small group leaders at Bassycs Jr..
6) We want each other to run into the bell tower; although, I'm a tad bit more wishful of her face planting into the bell tower before I do.
7) We have an extremely encouraging relationship! :)
8) The day I saw her at eye level was, by far, one of the weirdest experiences of my life (she's taller than I am).
9) We're concerned very much so about each other's well being; therefore, we have each other's backs.
10) We love each other, and we love Jesus!

Taylor is one of my good friends who doesn't actually live in my dorm, which is nice. I'm not saying I don't love everybody in Olson; I'm just saying that's it's quite wonderful to have a friend who lives across campus and not right next door.

God has really blessed me with a friend like Taylor, and I can't imagine not seeing her beautiful face every single day (almost). God definitely knew what He was doing when He brought Taylor into my life. Thank You, God, for blessing me with Taylor!

So, Taylor, thank you for putting up with my obnoxious moods. Thank you for putting up with my crazy laughing attacks and sometimes bad days. You really are a blessing to me, and I hope you know that I am there for you ALWAYS! You are an amazing woman of God who makes me laugh even when you aren't around me. You are beautiful, you're my friend, I love you, and I wanted the whole entire world to know about you. You are NOT intimidating like you used to be. Now, you are just my awesome friend who I'd die for any day of the week.

So, here's to my partner in crime. Here's to hoping that when you, OBVIOUSLY, face plant into the bell tower first (wink wink) that you take me with you. Here's to Jesus! Here's to letting me call you Toilet Paper (TP=Taylor Potts as well as toilet paper). And here's to us! I love you so much!

Love, Morgan (AKA Morgs)

This the one and only time I have seen Taylor at eye level! WEIRDEST PHENOMENON EVER...

There's No Other Way

Ever since I got to college, I've been learning about love. I've been learning about the difference between human love and God's love. I've been learning how I love and how I should love. I've been learning and really seeing the different ways in which love has been displayed to me, both human and godly. For a long time, especially during my high school years, all I saw was human love that continuously failed me and other people. But then I got to Taylor, and I was overwhelmed by the love that was displayed. Everyone strives to love like Jesus loves us, and at first, I didn't really know how to handle it or accept it. However, it was simply because I was not used to it.

One of my favorite songs, "Times", is written by Tenth Avenue North. Some of the lyrics are as follows:

I hear You say, 

"My love is over. It's underneath.

It's inside. It's in between.

The times you doubt Me, when you can't feel.

The times that you question, 'Is this for real?'

The times you're broken.

The times that you mend.

The times that you hate Me, and the times that you bend.

Well, My love is over, it's underneath.

It's inside, it's in between.

These times you're healing, and when your heart breaks.

The times that you feel like you're falling from grace.

The times you're hurting.

The times that you heal.

The times you go hungry, and are tempted to steal.

The times of confusion, in chaos and pain.

I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame.

I'm there through your heartache.

I'm there in the storm.

My love I will keep you, by My pow'r alone.

I don't care where you fall, where you have been.

I'll never forsake you, My love never ends.

It never ends."

What amazing lyrics, right?! It describes exactly what humans do, but it is God telling us that He is going to love us no matter what. His love is UNCONDITIONAL, UNFAILING, ALL-POWERFUL, AND INFINITE. 

So, as humans, our love is conditional, failing, not powerful, and finite. We WILL run out of love to give. So, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY to love than with the love of God. If everyone strived to love more with the love of God, our relationships would be so much better and...loving. 

We need to try to harder to love with the love of Jesus because, honestly, there's no other way!

Laura Viers

So, another person who is really making a difference in my life is my next-door neighbor, Laura.

Okay, I have a really interesting thing to tell you about me and Laura: we've known each other since the middle of our senior years in high school. We starting talking over Facebook, we met for the first time in March (I think), and ever since, I was hoping that I would live relatively close to Laura. I knew that God has put her in my life for a reason, and He never ceases to amaze me because now...Laura is my next-door neighbor.

Here's the thing about Laura: she just gets me in a way that most people can't. Our personalities our relatively similar, and we've had a lot of the same experiences. We just seem to understand each other on a deeper level that some people can't. She is super encouraging, hilarious, smart, understanding, loving, caring, trustworthy, prayerful, and Christ-like. She is truly an amazing woman of God, and now...I can't imagine her not being in my life!

Laura, thank you for dealing with my loopy moods when I don't get enough sleep. Thank you for laughing at my obnoxious behavior because I love making you laugh and smile. You are an awesome friend, and I am happy that I started talking to you when I did because it adds a different dynamic to our friendship. Thank you for knowing how to put a smile on my face. Thank you for the hugs. Thank you for letting me tuck you in at night before you go to bed. I love you oh so very much!

My Life These Past Few Weeks

So, I haven't blogged in a really long time because time has just gotten away from me. However, I'll do my best to recap my life these past few weeks.

The first place that I'm going to start is parent's and family weekend. It was a great time because I got to see my family. I got to show them where I go to school, where I live, who some of my friends are (I wish that I had the opportunity to have them meet more of my friends), and why I love Taylor University so much. It was really rainy and cold, but it didn't matter because we were together whether we were on campus or off campus.

Then a couple weeks later was Fall break. Fall break was a really relaxing time. However, because I am taking 17 credit hours, I had A TON of homework to do. Instead of going home, I went to my friend Laura Viers's house. She has a younger sister who is just a riot, two dogs who ended up giving me so much love ( I ended up cuddling with one of them on the couch and napping), and two amazing parents. The weather was so beautiful, and I met some of Laura's friends. It was nice to be back in a home setting with wonderfully home-cooked meals. I got to sleep in, and one of the things that I have been missing oh so much here in the cornfields that I got to do...GO TO TARGET! It was a fun outing with a lot of laughs. That Saturday we went out to eat (me and Laura's family) for Laura's mom's birthday. It was fun, and there was a lot of good conversation. I got a lot accomplished, and I am grateful that I got to find out a little more about Laura and her family. It was a blast. So, thank you, Laura Viers and family! :)

Then a couple weekends ago I was given the opportunity to get off of campus for an entire weekend. It was for a class, but it didn't really matter to me. I went to Joe and Melissa's house because I had to watch and observe Jake for 10 hours. It was super relaxing, and I had a lot of fun. Jake is like the sweetest little boy that I have EVER been around, and I loved hanging out with him and watching him to his little sign language. I even got a loaf of homemade bread, which is completely eaten by the way. Diana and I devoured that thing relatively quickly. Thank you, Joe and Melissa! It was lovely getting off of campus for a weekend.

Now, it is November, and school is just flying by. I didn't really expect anything less than that, but I am still absolutely loving college!

God is so good to me.